Synopsis: On the last day of fourth grade, everything in Winnie’s world changed. That was the day Winnie’s parents got divorced and decided that Winnie would live three days a week with each of them and spend Wednesdays by herself in a treehouse smack between their houses, to divide her time evenly. Before the divorce, her parents didn’t care much about holidays except Thanksgiving. When her mother realized she was never going to celebrate Thanksgiving with Winnie because it fell on Thursday, she decided to pick a new holiday and celebrate it better. The competition began and soon every day was a special holiday, as each parent tried to outdo the other: Ice Cream Sandwich Day, Underwear Day, National Slinky Day, Talk Like Shakespeare Day, and so on. Winnie was kept so busy, she couldn’t study or finish her homework. Wednesdays in the Treehouse became a sanctuary with her cat, Buttons. When her teacher warned her she was at risk of not passing fifth grade, Winnie had enough. That’s when Winnie’s seed of frustration with her parents was planted. That seed grew until it felt like it was as big as a tree itself.

By the end of fifth grade, Winnie decided that the only way to change things was to barricade herself in her treehouse until her parents come to their senses. Her friends ,who have their own parent issues, decided to join her. It’s kids versus grown-ups, and no one wants to back down first. But with ten demanding kids in one treehouse, Winnie discovered that things can get pretty complicated pretty fast!

Why I like this book:

Lisa Graff’s witty storytelling makes The Great Treehouse War a superb summer read for kids. And it will fulfill any child’s dream of wanting to live in a treehouse — especially a two-story treehouse built 15 feet off the ground. It is equipped with a bathroom, art station, skylights, bookshelves, a toaster oven, shelves full of fruit loops and a zip line escape to Winnie’s Uncle Huck’s house.

It is a cleverly designed book by Graff for kids who are in fifth grade and preparing to move on to middle school. It offers readers both tantalizing prose and humorous drawings and doodles, maps, sticky note comments, how-to instructions, plans, and treehouse rules. It has a comic book appeal to it and is perfect for the intended age group.

There are 10 Tulip Street kids with 10 very distinct and quirky personalities, which add to the fun and mayhem. Their diversity is uneventful, because the only way you know they are diverse is by their names like Winifred Malladi-Maraj (aka Winnie). Winnie is a spunky, creative, compassionate and courageous heroine. She possesses what she and Uncle Huck describe at “artist vision,” where she is able to intuitively observe the needs of others. Her cat, Buttons, is the greatest cat in the world. Other memorable characters include: Lyle and his tooth collection; Jolee the scrabble champ; Greta and her friendship bracelets; the twins Brogan the acrobat and Logan the jokester; and Tabitha and her lizards.

The plot is wacky and unique because Winnie’s divorced parents have her trapped in the middle of their selfish battle for equal access to their daughter. Any child being pulled in two different directions by divorced parents, will relate to the unfairness of it all. Graff’s silly and sometimes outrageous approach to divorce is age appropriate and makes the topic easier to digest. There are other unusual subplots that make this book such a clever read, but I won’t spoil it for readers.

Lisa Graff is the critically acclaimed and award-winning author of A Clatter of Jars, Lost in the Sun, Absolutely Almost, A Tangle of Knots, Double Dog Dare, Sophie Simon Solves Them All, Umbrella Summer, The Life and Crimes of Bernetta Wallflower, and The Thing About Georgie. You can visit Lisa Graff at her website.

Opening/Synopsis: “My name is Brown. I spend a lot of time in a pencil box with a bunch of other colors. We are all different. Some of us are sharper than others. Some of us are long and others are short.” Brown is the tallest pencil in the box. This means he is the least used pencil in the box. And he doesn’t feel like he fits in very well with the others. “I don’t have much to smile about. I am Brown, tall geeky and lonely…that’s me!” Brown envies Red, Blue, Orange, Yellow, Green, and Purple who color and play together. Blue gives hugs. Orangelikes to have fun. Green is honest. White keeps the peace. Pinklistens. And everyone loves Red. When Brown talks to Blueand Green, he learns that if wants good friends, he has to be a good friend. So he asks all the other pencils why they don’t like him and learns a lot of surprising things about himself. It is Black who points out that “when all the colors are mixed together they make Brown.” He has all the colors inside him. Will he be able to use all the other colors to like himself, recognize his own strengths and be a better friend?

Why I like this book: Julia Cook has written a humorous fun and colorful book that all kids will identify with. What better way to teach kids about differences than through art. There are tall kids, short kids, popular kids, shy kids, happy kids and sad kids in every classroom. Differences add to the dynamics of the classroom. This book really focuses on helping children building interpersonal relationships with other children. Bridget Barnes’ illustrations are bright, lively and expressive. This title is the first in a new series of Julia Cook’s books focusing on relationship-building skills for children. It is perfect for the classroom.

Resources: There is a backpage at the back of the book with constructive tips for parents, teachers and counselors to work with kids in building the life skills they require to be a good friend. In the classroom, ask each child to pick the color of a pencil he/she feels they could identify with most and why. This will make for an interesting classroom discussion. Visit Julia Cook’s website, to view the many books she has written.

Every Friday, authors and KidLit bloggers post a favorite picture book. To see a complete listing of all the Perfect Picture Books with resources, please visit author Susanna Leonard Hill’s Perfect Picture Books.

Opening: “Words. I’m surrounded by thousands of words. Maybe millions. Cathedral. Mayonnaise. Pomegrante…Words have always swirled around me like snowflakes — each one delicate and different, each one melting untouched in my hands. Deep within me, words pile up in huge drifts. Mountains of phrases and sentences and connected ideas. Clever expressions and jokes. Love songs.” Melody’s head is full of words and sentences. She is 11 years old and has never spoken one single word. Melody has cerebral palsy and is trapped in a body that won’t do what she wants it to do. She is confined to a wheel chair, unable to move, walk, talk, feed and care for herself. Melody has a photographic mind, and is a very smart. But no one knows that except Melody. No one knows that her favorite song is “Elvira.”

Draper has written a very compelling novel and has given us a rare glimpse into Melody’s world. She shows Melody’s frustration in having doctors, teachers and people talking about her like she’s “profoundly retarded and unable to understand.” Her frustration and her inability to speak can lead to “tornado explosions,” which only reinforces their beliefs that she’s severely brain-damaged. Melody says, “I live in a cage with no door and no key.” “And, I have no way to tell someone how to get me out.” Draper has created a very strong protagonist who simply will not give up and fights to find that key to unlock the cage so people will know she is there. She’s tired of going to school and being put in a special education classes and taught the same nursery rhymes and songs year after year. She wants to learn. She’s hurt that no one wants to be a friend and deals with constant bullying when she participates in inclusion classes.

Fortunately for Melody, she has loving parents who advocate for her, and a neighbor who drills Melody every afternoon on words she has written on flash cards to help Melody communicate. Melody is even more determined, and one day she discovers a special computer that can help her speak. Melody world begins to change once she gets her Medi-talker. She is catapulted into some exciting new adventures that are also fraught with disappointment. But this very courageous girl now has a voice, and she’s not afraid to express her feelings. Hooray for Melody!

After reading Draper’s very moving novel, I believe there are very important things Melody would want you to know when meeting or working with a child with special needs. Don’t talk about them as if they are invisible. Don’t assume that they are brain-damaged and aren’t intelligent. Always assume they can hear or understand you even if they can’t communicate. Look directly into their eyes and talk to them as if they understand you. Treat them with respect and dignity. Don’ talk in a loud voice, talk normally. Don’t look away if you feel awkward. Smile and say hello.

Draper is “fiercely adamant that nobody feel sorry for Melody.” “I tried hard to make her unforgettable – someone you would never dare feel sorry for,” says Draper. “I wanted her to be accepted as a person, not as a representative for people with disabilities. Lots of people have worse difficulties in their lives. As readers embrace the story, I hope that they will cheer for her!”

Sharon Draper is a two-time Coretta Scott King Award-winning author, most recently for Copper Sun, and previously for Forged by Fire. Visit this award-winning author, educator, speaker, poet and National Teacher of the Year at her website (click here). Her website contains interviews and information about all of her books.

I also want to say a special thank you to Cathy Mealey for recommending this extraordinary book to me. Out of My Mind is one of my favorite reads this year.